Alabama football now has its new five-star quarterback Keelon Russell in the fold. He arrived in January. And already he has made the most of his time on campus.

The freshman is listed at 6-3, 192 pounds. He had previously been listed at 175 pounds for an increase of 17 pounds.

“I saw him last summer, and I saw him in person for one game last fall,” DeBoer said. “He’s in pads and all that at time, too. He looks good right now. Strong and moves around. He’s just a good all-around athlete. The weight program, certainly for any new guy, is going to be critical. It’s good to get that first phase under your belt. That’s why being an early enrollee is so important. Obviously now and through the spring, the reason, there’s multiple reasons, but one of the reasons why we go every other day and not back-to-back ever is just so we can get big days of lifting in, really, a minimum three times a week.”

Russell will be in competition this spring, and likely into the summer, with Ty Simpson and Austin Mack as for who will be the next Crimson Tide starting quarterback.

Alabama’s spring practices will run through A-Day on Saturday, April 12. The event will not be broadcast anywhere, so fans wanting to watch it must attend in person. UA said admission will be free.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.